Re: Taking the plunge ! (Longish)

[Nigel Orr <Nigel.Orr@xxxxxxx>]

At 14:40 26/06/00 +0100, you wrote:
>does not give me different extension numbers. I would like to have
extensi=
on
>numbers allowing transfer of calls, intercom functions and the ability
to
>easily change an extension from being business or home line.

You want a little PABX if you need intercom stuff, call transfer etc.  I'm=
=20
not sure what 2-line ones are available, but there are various small=20
systems (up to 8 or 16 extensions) around.  Panasonic make one, I think=20
it's 1 line, 8 extensions, and costs about =A3350.

>With the A/V I am really looking for some advice, I have read a bit
about
>modulators and sending out the video signal via RF. But where do I
source
>these in the UK and what is the price, bearing in mind I would want at
lea=
st
>5 inputs and 8 outputs.

RF modulators (available from Maplins at least, probably from lots of
other=
=20
places) are worth considering if you have cameras or screens that need
to=20
move around regularly, but otherwise there's really no point in them if
you=
=20
are considering laying lots of cable anyway.

>Also with audio what are my options, I would want to
>be able to have different volume and source playing in each room.

You can either have everything in one place, with speaker cables to each=20
room, or have an amplifier in each room and send line level signals around=
=20
the house, or a mixture of both.  All will work equally well, if you
have=20
somewhere in the room where you can put an amplifier, that makes it easier=
=20
to adjust the sound in that room, if you don't want to see any electronics=
=20
in the room, have an amp in a cupboard somewhere.

>Finally there is the little matter of control. I have three
programmable
>remotes so could easily leave one in each of the main rooms and use
RF/IR
>transmitters to send the commands to the source equipment. However
would I
>have a problem if I had two source locations, would it be possible to
have
>two transmitters working on different frequencies ?

Unless it's very likely that 2 people will be simultaneously channel=20
hopping for long periods, you'll probably find it's rare that the 2
brief=20
IR signals will 'collide', and if they do you can just press the button=20
again.  You could have transmitters on different frequencies, but if you=20
keep in the standard 36-40kHz band it makes it more likely that you can
use=
=20
any remote control.

>Alternatively would I be
>better with wired communication.

Wires are good for IR repeaters between rooms, but you probably don't want=
=20
to have to get up and press buttons on the wall to change channels etc.

>Also there is the matter of X10. I don't
>have any X10 at the moment,

Congratulations :-)  I eventually half-joined the 'dark side' last=20
November... (long story)

>subject of X10, when I had the office wired a separate 'daughter'
consumer
>unit was fitted as there were no more slots free on the existing one.
Will
>this cause any problems with X10 signals

Shouldn't cause any problems at all, assuming it's on the same incoming=20
phase as the existing one (which it probably is, is it wired from the=20
existing one?).  If the boards are on different phases (and if they are=20
there will probably have been a new meter fitted too, and might be
stickers=
=20
saying '415V' on it somewhere), then you will probably need an X-10
phase=20
coupler.

>move between the office circuit and the rest of the house. There will
be t=
he
>question of garage doors, gates, external lights and more in the future
bu=
t
>I don't expect that to impact on the wiring and design within the
house.

While you're wiring, run some cable to a useful point to get outside=20
connections.  You will probably want different cable outside than in=20
anyway, so just run it to somewhere that is accessible under floorboards
or=
=20
somewhere you can add little junction boxes at a later date.

>So baring all this in mind I'm looking for all you 'old hands' to give
me

I'm not an 'old hand' at HA, just A/V and electronics... but I hope
there's=
=20
some helpful stuff there... (I'll point you at my pages at=20
http://ha.orrs.net where there's some
info on putting in cables in old=20
houses- if you notice any missing hints or have more suggestions for it,
do=
=20
let me know!)

HTH,

Nigel


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